Year 3 NAPLAN practice tests
Free NAPLAN practice tests for Year 3: reading, language conventions, numeracy and writing, set out like the real online test. Each one marks itself and explains every answer, and prints as a paper test with an answer key. Year 3 is the first NAPLAN, so the screen itself is new: one question at a time, a flag for the ones to come back to, and answers that are sometimes typed, not chosen.
Want more? Australian teachers sell full NAPLAN practice packs, reading magazines and writing units for Year 3.
NAPLAN resources for Year 3
What is in the Year 3 NAPLAN practice tests
82 questions I wrote for Year 3, and two writing prompts. Each test has two sets that fit in a lesson and a full practice test with both. Every one can be done online, where it marks itself, or printed as a paper test with an answer key.
| Test | Practice here | Real test |
|---|---|---|
| Year 3 reading | 27 questions | 45 minutes |
| Year 3 language conventions | 27 questions | 45 minutes |
| Year 3 numeracy | 28 questions | 45 minutes |
| Year 3 writing | 2 prompts | 40 minutes |
Year 3 NAPLAN reading
4 texts of different kinds, each with its own questions, and the text stays beside the question the way it does in the real test.
- Grandpa's Hat, narrative
- Echidnas, information text
- Colour Fun Run, school notice
- Storm Coming, poem
The questions cover:
- Finding information (10 questions)
- Inferring (6 questions)
- Word meaning and language (4 questions)
- Author's purpose (2 questions)
- Text structure (4 questions)
- Main idea (1 question)
Year 3 NAPLAN language conventions
Spelling comes first, then grammar and punctuation, as in the real test. Two of the Year 3 questions:
The children hung ___ bags on the hooks.
- their
- there
- they're
Answer: their. Their means belonging to them.
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
- We packed apples bread, cheese, and, juice.
- We packed apples, bread, cheese and juice.
- We packed, apples bread cheese and juice.
- We, packed apples bread cheese and juice.
Answer: We packed apples, bread, cheese and juice. Commas separate the items in a list. The last two items are joined by and.
- Spelling (8 questions)
- Homophones (3 questions)
- Punctuation (4 questions)
- Apostrophes (3 questions)
- Grammar and tense (4 questions)
- Word classes (3 questions)
- Sentences and clauses (2 questions)
Year 3 NAPLAN numeracy
Year 3 has no calculator in the real test, and none is needed here. Two of the Year 3 questions:
Mia has 84 stickers. She gives 29 to her sister. How many stickers does Mia have left?
Answer: 55. 84 − 29 = 55. Take away 30 to get 54, then add 1 back.
What is the missing number in this pattern? 4, 8, 12, ___, 20
Answer: 16. The pattern goes up by 4 each time: 12 + 4 = 16.
- Number and place value (4 questions)
- Number operations (5 questions)
- Fractions, decimals and percentages (4 questions)
- Money (2 questions)
- Patterns and algebra (2 questions)
- Measurement and time (5 questions)
- Shapes, angles and position (3 questions)
- Data and chance (3 questions)
Year 3 NAPLAN writing
Students are given one prompt on the day, narrative or persuasive, and 40 minutes. Year 3 writes on paper. There is one of each here, with a timer and the ten marking criteria:
- The Door in the Tree (narrative). You are walking through the park when you notice a tiny door at the bottom of a big old tree. It is open just a crack. Write a story about what happens when you open the door.
- Every Class Needs a Pet (persuasive). Some people think every classroom should have a class pet, like a fish or a guinea pig. Others think pets do not belong at school. What do you think? Write to convince your teacher.
Year 3 NAPLAN past papers
The real Year 3 papers that ACARA has released are the paper tests from 2012 to 2016 and 2008 to 2011, free with answers on its website. Nothing has been released since 2016, so there is no Year 3 past paper from the online test. What is in those papers, how today’s test differs and how I would use them is on the NAPLAN past papers page.
Getting ready for NAPLAN 2027
NAPLAN 2027 runs from Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March 2027. The dates and what is new are in my NAPLAN 2027 guide, ideas for the weeks before are in NAPLAN practice resources, and what the report means is in understanding NAPLAN results.
Questions about Year 3 NAPLAN
How long is the Year 3 NAPLAN test?
There are four Year 3 tests: writing 40 minutes, reading 45, conventions of language 45 and numeracy 45. They are sat on different days inside the test window, which in 2027 is Wednesday 10 March to Monday 22 March.
Is Year 3 NAPLAN done online or on paper?
Year 3 writing is done on paper, on day 1. Reading, conventions of language and numeracy are done online.
Are these Year 3 practice tests free?
Yes. All 82 Year 3 questions and both writing prompts are free, with no login. Each set marks itself and explains every answer, and answers stay on the student's own screen.
Where can I find Year 3 NAPLAN past papers?
ACARA has released the real Year 3 NAPLAN papers from 2008 to 2016, with answers, on acara.edu.au. It has not released any test since 2016, so there are no Year 3 past papers from the online test. Those papers were sat on paper and the test is now online, so use them for the questions and something like these practice tests for the format.
Are these real NAPLAN questions?
No. Real NAPLAN questions are kept secure. I wrote these to match the formats of the online test and pitched them at the Australian Curriculum for the year. The score is not a NAPLAN proficiency level.